Cast

Storyline

After moving to a new town, Zach (Dylan Minnette) meets a girl named Hannah (Odeya Rush), but her father, Mr. Shivers (Jack Black), doesn't want him to get close to his daughter. Like all teens, Zach doesn't do what he is told to, and will find out the deadly secret lying in that house.

Opinion

I grew up reading the Goosebumps book series, so you can imagine my excitement for this film. Though I did not have any expectations, knowing it was not an adaptation of a single novel but all the monsters together, and due the fact that I'm not a kid anymore. Happy to say I was pleasingly surprised.

While its scares basically target kids making of it a family-friendly horror, "Goosebumps" has enough humour and fun to entertain everyone, and to bring our your inner child, especially if you were a fan of the books.

According to author R.L. Stine, every Goosebumps story can be broken down into three parts: the beginning, the middle, and the twist. This rule applies to the film as well, and the twist element is really executed well, with some clever twists that give the film an emotional kick.

The story isn't completely original, but it feels fresh and it is beautifully executed, and seeing all those monsters released from R.L. Stine's manuscripts and making an appearance on the big screen was amazing.

The humour works well on both adult and kid levels, but there is some forced humour involving two police officers that just didn't work, and the dialogue is a little bit corny in the romantic scenes.

One of the smartest decisions the filmmakers made in making this film was casting Jack Black. He easily steals every scene he is in. His comedic timing is excellent, and he is able to be hilarious in everything he does as the fictional version of R.L. Stine. He also does a great job as Slappy the Dummy, the character that basically steals the show. The three teens (Dylan Minnette, Odeya Rush and Ryan Lee) are equally effective in their roles, and the chemistry between Minnette and Rush is just sweet.